Children See

Children see—even if they don’t have the capacity to articulate what they see—they see and their mind records what they see. This can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on the situation and how you respond. Many, many years ago when my son was about three-and-a-half, I went on an errand that…

Not a Waste of Time

A Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania study found that coloring, drawing, and doodling make us feel more relaxed because they activate the prefrontal cortex, which helps control the brain’s reward pathways and contributes to our emotions, decision-making capabilities, and motivation. In this study, the participants were given paper and markers and instructed to doodle in several…

Why Do I Draw?

When I studied art many years ago, I was taught to draw and create beautiful things for others. The process was about pleasing and recognition—not transformation. I struggled with that approach because it placed me outside of myself and left me feeling off balanced, unsure of myself, and discontent. Then one day I came to…

The Chain of Harm

When we are young, our minds are predominantly in a theta brain state—copy and paste. This allows us to learn an immense amount of information quickly as we adapt to new environments. Unfortunately, we don’t have the capacity to question the appropriateness of what we are learning during these early and formative years. This means…